GENERAL FAQs

Q. WHY PAIR VETERANS WITH PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES FOR TREATMENT?

A. Veterans and athletes are curious about each other’s experiences which fosters an open dialogue and sense of community. In the military and professional football, both populations train, play, win and lose together - it only makes sense to heal together. Eisenhower embraces the “After the Impact” program as a proven, integrated model of care.

Q. WHY AFTER THE IMPACT FUND?

A. Beyond treatment, our veterans and legends come out of our center with a new support network, new communication styles, a renewed sense of camaraderie, possibly a new mentor in life, and follow-up from our staff to keep that personal connection going.

Finally, it’s important to note that the members of our Board of Directors hold each of us to a very high standard. All of these men feel an inherent duty to serve Our Nation’s Veterans and their fellow NFL alumni. The commitment is there and it’s very real.

Q. HOW IS AFTER THE IMPACT FUND DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IS ALREADY OUT THERE?

A. After the Impact Fund is a trusted, independent organization free of political ties and does not receive government funding. Additionally, there are many groups out there in the sea of 46,000 veteran service organizations tackling different issues right now, but none of them offer an intensive and comprehensive model built around residential behavioral treatment.

On top of that core treatment and our family program, After the Impact Fund is building a Center of Excellence in Jacksonville, FL, which will add future medical offerings including:

Q. HOW MANY CONCUSSIONS DOES IT TAKE FOR ME TO HAVE A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (TBI)?

A. It starts with one. But having one reported concussion does not mean you haven’t sustained mini (sub) concussions that can add up over time. Many scientists believe that Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a result of repeated, or sub-concussive, hits to the head. The concern is that each time the head takes a pounding, it shakes the brain inside the skull. All that movement can lead to a buildup of an abnormal protein called tau, which can take over parts of the brain. For the military veteran exposed to blast injury, one IED blast can equate to 10-15 concussions.

Q. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CTE AND TBI?

A. CTE is a progressive degenerative disease found in people who have suffered repetitive brain trauma, including hits to the head that did not result in TBI symptoms. Individuals with CTE usually have symptoms of dementia, memory loss, aggression, confusion, depression and suicidal ideations that may occur many years after the injuries.

TBI is frequently defined as a head injury with a temporary loss of brain function, causing a variety of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms, which may or may not be subtle, sometimes called simply, concussion. Classic signs of a concussion are some change in mentation, headache, loss of consciousness, irritability, amnesia, slowed reaction times and sleep disturbances.

Q. HOW IS CTE DIAGNOSED?

A. At this time CTE can only be diagnosed after death by postmortem neuropathological analysis. Ongoing research is currently underway to use MRI, CT, or other brain imaging methods to diagnose CTE, as well as clinically diagnose it in the living.

Q. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CTE AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE (AD)?

A. There are similar symptoms associated between CTE and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) however, differences do exist. Symptoms of CTE generally present earlier (40 years old) as compared to AD (60 years old). The initial and most prevalent symptoms in AD involve memory problems, while the first symptoms of CTE generally involve problems with judgment, reasoning, problem solving, impulse control, and aggression.

After the Impact Fund, Inc. (“ATIF”) is a Delaware nonprofit corporation recognized by the IRS with federal tax-exempt status as a public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Tax ID #81-0871670). Contributions to ATIF are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.